The Great Antarctic Myth

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 308, 28 December 1940, Page 6 (Supplement)

The Great Antarctic Myth

Every now and again when the question of the potential wealth of the world is being discussed somebody mentions Antarctica and its commercial possibilities. Oil, coal and vast mineral deposits are mentioned—oil on the Pacific side of the South Pole and minerals on Enderby Island. Scientific expeditions have investigated some of the possibilities, but it is all still a matter of controversy. The suggestion is scoffed at in this article.

By David Le Roi

DESPITE all that has been written and spoken in support of the development of the South Polar lands, the economic importance of the Antarctic continent is a myth; the stories of its "unlimited mineral wealth" are unfounded. It is true that both Mawson and Sliackleton reported the presence of coal near Mount Nansen in Victoria i Land, and Admiral Byrd made a similar | discovery at the head of the Thome Glacier. None of these explorers suggested, however, that the senilis were worth exploiting, but pointed out that the eoal was of poor quality and practically inaccessible for mining operations. Terrible Climate Ever since Sliackleton found shale south," the possibility of the Antarctic supplying the world "with oil has been a subject of enthusiastic discussion. Yet, even if the deposits were in workable quantities, no one would lie inclined to finance the erection of the necessary extraction plants when oil produced from shale deposits in temperate hemispheres cannot compete with that obtained from wells. Traees of iron ore, magnesium and soila sulphate have been found in the neighbourhood of Cape Royds, but never in sufficient quantities to suggest profitable deposits. In South Victoria Land there are geological strata identical with the New Guinea gold reef; although this circumstance has been advanced repeatedly as proof of a vast Antarctic goldfiald, no explorer has yet reported finding so much as a speck of the precious metal in South Polar territory. Whilst it is true that rocks of the geological age and disposition requisite for the presence of most mineral ores are widely dispersed, throughout the Antarctic continent, the paucity of icefree land suitable for large-scale prospecting renders improbable any important discoveries being made or exploited. Moreover, even in the unlikely went of mineral wealth being found in the South Polar regions, the terrible climate would prevent workers living there to exploit the deposits.

Human existence in the Antarctic is impossible except for elaborately-equip-ped expeditions, and even then explorers have to endure terrible hardships in order to spend a few short summer weeks within the continent's frozen limits. Another fact overlooked by those visualising a commercial future for Antarctia » that the land is practically unapproachable and necessitates a 600mile voyage across the most tempestuous seas in the world; half that distance being out of the question except to the stoutest ships, as the sea is almost a solid mass of ice. Nearly double, the size of Australia, Antarctica is the loftiest continent in the world, and its vast and desolate plateaux are constantly swept by winds having a mean velocity of 50 miles an hour. These winds frequently rise to blizzards, and, shrieking across the arid wastes of ice and snow at 100 miles an hour, are unparalleled elsewhere on the globe. Except very occasionally in parts of Graham Land, the temperature never rises above freezing point over the whole continent, and thermometer readings are, on the average, far lower than for similar latitudes in the north. On account of the prevailing low temperature, rain is unknown on the Antarctic continent and the only form of precipitation is snow or rime; away from the seaboard such precipitation is negligible, being equivalent to only a couple of inches of rain per annum. Not more than 100 of the 6,000,000 square miles of land comprising the continent's surface are free from a permanent covering of ice. Incidentally, the distinction between land and sea is ex-

tremely vague on account of tie masses of semipermanent ice surrounding the coastline. With such a climate gripping the land in an ice-age more severe than any experienced by Europe in prehistoric times, it is not surprising that fauna and flora are practically non-existent on Antarctica, and where animals and plants are unable to live, man certainly cannot survive. Even the marine life consists of only the minute species of animal and plant organisms known as "plankton," or suspended non-swimming form's. Weather Forecasting Admittedly the narrow strips of beach in the more temperate Antarctic latitudes support considerable numbers of penguin* and seals. But the flesh of the penguins is nauseating, while their blubber-coated skins have no commercial value, though some years ago Germany unsuccessfully attempted "to exploit thein. The seals, not being of the fur-bearing varieties, are likewise of no marketable value. Indeed, the sole industry that in any way merits description as Antarctic is that of whaling, which yields about £4,000,000 worth of products annuallv. Strictly speaking, however, the whale fishery has no connection with the Antarctic continent, as the fishing grounds are all in deep water many miles off the coast. Apart from whaling, and the remote possibility of general fisheries being developed in the more temperate South Polar seas, there would appear ta be no economic future for Antarctica. Only in the province of weather-fore-casting is the continent ever likely to benefit civilisation. Meteorologists be* lieye that data gathered in the South lolar regions will eventually enable long-range forecasts to be made, and it is hoped eventually to establish meteorological station, on the few habitable parts of the AnUrctican coast.